A FAMILY are lucky to be alive after a fire broke out in the kitchen of their home after a frying pan was left unattended.

The fire broke out during the early hours of Saturday morning in Bodfari, Denbighshire.

Firefighters from Denbigh and St Asaph were called to their property after one of the occupiers was awoken by the sound of crackling in the property as the fire took hold.

A North Wales Fire & Rescue Service spokeswoman said the fire caused “100% smoke damage to the kitchen” and also to the dining room.

Three members of the family were taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation - there were no working smoke alarms fitted in the property. Simon Talbot from the fire service said: “This family was extremely lucky to escape unharmed – I cannot overemphasise the importance of having working smoke alarms fitted in your home. We could easily have been dealing with another four tragic fire deaths here in North Wales.”